Laguna Beach in 2012: a look back

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2012, here's a look back at some of the year's top stories in Laguna Beach, in reverse chronological order:

The Cottage closes

Locals hankering for The Cottage's eggs Benedict or buttermilk pancakes will have to find a new breakfast spot.

The restaurant at 308 N. Coast Highway – known for its home-style food and outdoor patio – closed this week after 48 years because the property is being sold, owner Jennifer McCulley said.

McCulley, the third owner of the restaurant, said she didn't know the building and land were for sale until October, with a deal nearing completion.

"It's hard. Any kind of change is hard," she said. "We're staying on the positive side."

There are no plans to reopen at another location, she said.

The iconic Craftsman-style bungalow, with Japanese and Swiss influence, dates to 1917. It was once home to pioneer local real estate developer Joe Skidmore. In 1938, it became Laguna Vista Cafe and changed its name to The Cottage in the 1960s.

Inside the restaurant last month, the fireplace burned and sounds of clanking silverware and the smell of coffee filled the room.

"It's Ralph's 80th birthday and I thought he should come to a landmark," said Kendrick, 70.

Kendrick said she grew up going to The Cottage with her parents and was sad to hear it is closing. Bray said he considered himself lucky to be trying the restaurant for the first time, before it's gone.

The restaurant hasn't had a lot of changes over the years, except for some new menu items, and people have appreciated that, McCulley said.

But locals might have to get used to a new business there.

Urth Caffé, based in Los Angeles, has requested a historical assessment of the site from the city, with the property owner's permission. The building is an "E-rated" historic structure with guidelines for renovations. Urth proposed moderate changes and asked for a historical consultant's review, according to city documents.

Urth Caffé owner Shallom Berkman declined to comment. He did say he has been looking for an Orange County location.

The civil citation will result in the option to take a class on a first offense, with $1,000 fines for subsequent violations.

About 35 opponents of the ordinance showed up as the council voted 3-2 to adopt it. The council included two members freshly seated to replace two who had joined a unanimous vote Nov. 13 to give the law initial approval. The adopted version contains some revisions for clarity.

City Manager John Pietig and City Attorney Phil Kohn had met in recent weeks with a group of opponents – Howard Hills, David Vanderveen and Tijana Hamilton – to discuss changes to the ordinance, which were presented at the council meeting.

Key elements of the law include:

• Anyone 21 or older who knowingly serves alcohol to underage drinkers will be penalized.

• A first-time offender can take an approved class at his or her expense instead of being fined. Any offenses after that will count as misdemeanors with a $1,000 fine. If a first-time offender declines the class, he or she will be fined the $1,000.

• The person may be immune from prosecution if he or she makes a 911 call for an underage drinker needing medical assistance.

• A section outlining "reasonable steps" to prevent underage drinking – such as checking identification and monitoring alcohol supply – has been removed. Parents voiced concern that they would be penalized if they didn't strictly follow the guidelines.

• The meaning of "knowingly" has been clarified. A minor handing a bottle of beer to an adult or getting alcohol while moving around a party would not constitute a violation.

• Use of alcohol in religious activities and between a child and a parent or legal guardian would be exempt.

Opponent Tammy Keces, a parent who ran for school board this year, said, "Is the passage of a social-host ordinance really going to ensure the health, welfare and safety of our children?"

Schuyler Vanderveen, a senior at Laguna Beach High School and a familiar face at past meetings, said he feels the ordinance would be ineffective.

Councilwomen Elizabeth Pearson and Toni Iseman and new Councilman Robert Whalen ultimately decided that the pros outweigh the cons. Iseman thought some people still have misconceptions about the ordinance, believing it would apply to children when it would only punish adults. She reiterated that drug and alcohol abuse is a problem in the community.

Whalen said he didn't believe any of the unintended consequences that high school students and other opponents warned of will happen, such as increased drunken driving due to fewer parties.

Freshly sworn-in Councilman Steve Dicterow and newly appointed Mayor Kelly Boyd dissented, to the applause of many public speakers.

"I've come to the conclusion, unless you can show me that this will work, I won't pass it," said Boyd, who voted for the ordinance in November. "I'm not going to vote on it."

The law will take effect 30 days from its passage. The council agreed to review its effectiveness in about six months.

New council members elected; Boyd is mayor

Planning Commissioner Bob Whalen and former City Councilman Steve Dicterow won seats on the Laguna Beach City Council in November. Kelly Boyd was chosen as mayor Dec. 4.

Whalen earned 4,583 votes, about 28 percent of votes cast, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Dicterow followed with 4,339 votes, just over 26 percent.

The election cost incumbents Verna Rollinger and Jane Egly their seats on the council. Both received about 21 percent of the vote. Newcomer to city government Robert Ross received 634 votes.

In the race for two seats on the Laguna Beach Unified School District board, incumbents Jan Vickers and Bill Landsiedel remained in their roles. Vickers received 36 percent of the vote, with Landsiedel earning 26 percent.

Mayor Kelly Boyd announced in November that he was selling the Marine Room Tavern to local entrepreneur Chris Keller. The bar has been a fixture in Laguna since the Elterman family opened it in 1934.

Boyd and others call the Marine Room the "West Coast 'Cheers.'" Boyd and his brother, Bo, bought the bar in 1987, when the Eltermans "wanted somebody local to run it and not change it," Boyd recalled.

Keller owns two hotels, including La Casa del Camino.

Boyd said he, too, felt it was important to leave the Marine Room Tavern to someone who would carry on its legacy. After health issues plagued Boyd in the past year, he decided it was time to sell – and he handpicked Keller as the new owner.

"I wanted to find someone that would carry on the tradition," Boyd said. "The bar's been here 78 years."

Perhaps Boyd saw some of himself in Keller. The two became friends when Keller moved to Laguna Beach 10 years ago. Boyd has watched the 41-year-old entrepreneur's success opening a series of restaurants and hotels and serving as Laguna's Chamber of Commerce president.

Keller said he will make cosmetic changes and that the bar will offer draft beer, more wines and craft cocktails.

"The Marine Room Tavern is such a beloved icon in Laguna Beach," he said. "It has great history, and it has been and will continue to be a place where locals gather."

Murder-suicide in Arch Beach Heights

A man killed his wife and dog before committing suicide inside the couple's La Mirada Street home, authorities said in November.

The two were identified as Michael and Mendy Brown.

The couple were found by a co-worker of the husband after the man did not show up for work. The co-worker entered the house through an unlocked door and found the couple and their dog downstairs in the house in the 800 block of La Mirada.

The co-worker went to a neighbor's home and called police. When police arrived, they found a handgun. Brown, his wife and dog appeared to have died from gunshot wounds.

Officers believe Michael Brown shot and killed his wife and dog before turning the weapon on himself.

Skateboarding ban expands, confiscation added

Issues with skateboarders in the city persisted after a series of regulations went into effect last year and city officials considered a new kind of penalty in October.

Anyone under 18 skateboarding without a helmet could have their board confiscated for up to a month. The City Council gave preliminary approval at an Oct. 16 meeting.

First-time offenders would only have their board held at Laguna Beach police headquarters for a week, and any violator would have to bring his or her parents to have the skateboard released.

Wearing a helmet is already required of minors under state law, and the new penalty aims to encourage safer skating within the city.

Skateboarding and safety first came to the city's attention in 2010, when Morningside Drive residents complained of increasing numbers of downhill skateboarders on the neighborhood's steep, narrow streets. Throughout months of hearings, homeowners detailed their fears of hitting a skateboarder and complaints about rudeness from groups of youth. Skateboarders and their parents, in return, described their commitment to safety and achievements in the burgeoning sport by local teens.

The City Council voted 4-1 in June to add Skyline Drive to its list of banned streets. Skyline joined eight other hills that officials have ruled as too treacherous for skateboarders due to its grade, 10 intersections and more than 100 driveways. The Laguna Beach Police Department reported a steady number of complaints from neighbors, including reports of skateboarders weaving across lanes and rude behavior like urinating in bushes.

The city had hoped banning skateboarders from the most dangerous hills while enforcing safety standards would solve issues.

Picturesque Laguna Canyon and rugged hillsides separate this beach town from the bustle and sprawl of the rest of Orange County, but they also block out most radio stations.

Since October, Lagunans can tune into music and more – without the static – at KX/93.5 FM. The new, low-power operation houses its studio and 4-foot antenna in a small office complex on South Coast Highway, and creator Tyler Russell aims to make the programming a reflection of the community.

The station is the brainchild of the 23-year-old Chapman University alumnus, who is running it as a nonprofit group with the financial support of his father and other private investors. Despite having only a handful of years in the field, he describes himself as a corporate radio burnout after internships at Los Angeles-area stations and a stint on-air in Palm Springs.

Orange County in general has a lack of local programming, with most of its over-the-air content coming from Los Angeles. Russell and his family had come to love the area while he was a Chapman student, so he jumped at a chance to move to the area.

"When we saw there was an available frequency here, it was a no-brainer," he said.

Laguna Beach's only other radio station was KTED AM, which broadcast from 1949 to 1951.

City breaks ground on lifeguard headquarters

After 10 years of planning and preparation, the city formally broke ground on a new lifeguard headquarters in September. Here's a look at the project:

• The 6,722-square-foot building with a ground floor and a basement offers space for first-aid area, separate men and women's locker rooms and designated space for reporting writing, briefing and training. The new glass and concrete structure will also incorporate public restrooms, currently housed separately on the nearby bluff. The new structure will replace the existing 1,350-square-foot headquarters, built about 30 years ago.

• The Marine Safety Department rescues about 3,500 beachgoers each year and provides medical aid to 4,000 more.

• Demolition of the existing facilities, with construction continuing through the end of next year. In the meantime, temporary public restrooms and a modular building for lifeguards will be set up at Main Beach.

• Construction contracts for the project came in at about $5.6 million, with design work costing an additional $1 million.

Laguna's Fred Karger runs for president

Lagunan Fred Karger, locally known for his advocacy of the Boom Boom Room, became the first openly gay Republican candidate when he decided to make the run to White House this year. He was one of six Republicans on the presidential ballot.

A longtime Republican political consultant, Karger said he decided to run for office to fulfill a personal dream and to inspire others. He hoped to be a role model for gay youths while bringing gay-rights issues into focus in the Republican Party.

The lifelong Republican created his own jobs plan and wanted to appeal to moderate voters.

$50 million tunnel under South Laguna

Officials agree that a $50 million tunnel and sewer pipeline project will prevent an environmental disaster, but some South Laguna property owners wonder how the expected five years of construction will affect their neighborhood.

The South Coast Water District held a community forum in June on its upcoming tunnel stabilization and sewer pipeline replacement project. Dana Point and South Laguna residents attended the workshop, which outlined the scope and need for the project.

Built in 1954, the tunnel is crumbling in places, leaving the 24-inch sewer pipeline inside vulnerable. More than a million gallons of wastewater run through the pipeline each day, and in its current state, workers would have a tough time accessing the source of any leak.

"In my opinion, it is an environmental disaster waiting to happen," said Wayne Rayfield, president of the water district board.

Once permits and easements are secured, construction inside the two miles of tunnel buried about 50 feet into the bluff from Three Arch Bay to Aliso Beach is expected to begin in late 2013. The pipeline handles about a quarter of the district's total wastewater volume each day, serving households in South Laguna and Dana Point. Once complete, the district expects it will meet local needs for 100 years.

When construction begins, staging will take place at Fourth Street and South Coast Highway in South Laguna. Workers will first excavate a new access shaft and tunnel to connect with the existing tunnel on the other side of the highway. Through the course of the project, the Fourth Street lot will be the main access point for workers and materials in and out of the tunnel.

Temporary staging areas will also be set up at Thousand Steps Beach, Camel Point Beach and Aliso Beach – each for about a year at a time. In all, workers will rehabilitate about 10,000 feet of tunnel. The existing pipeline will first be encased in a concrete floor and kept for emergency use. Then, crews will excavate to create a uniform tunnel that's about 8 feet tall by 9 feet wide. The entire space will be reinforced and lined with concrete, and a new 24-inch pipeline will also be protected by a concrete shell.

So far, reserves, operating revenue and recent water district bonds are set to pay a portion of the costs. More bonds will likely help pay for the project, and residents within the district can expect rates to increase $10 a month for 30 years.

In earlier planning stages, the district looked at other options for future sewer service in the area. Though the existing tunnel is tricky to access, other options would present even more logistical and financial hurdles, officials said.

Underground work won't be noticed by residents, but the South Laguna staging area will for five years be the main access point for construction. The water district is hoping to install 12-foot sound walls on two sides of the staging area. Work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week, with breaks around holidays.

City says goodbye to 'Mr. Laguna'

Friends and family don't have to look far for memories of Harry Lawrence.

The man known as "Mr. Laguna" helped lead efforts to build South Coast Medical Center in South Laguna. He co-signed the loan to build Laguna Playhouse on Laguna Canyon Road. As a founding member of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce's Beautification Council, he helped transform what was once a run-down village. And for 15 years, he campaigned to turn Main Beach into a public park, preserving the "window to the sea" for future generations.

His wife, Zahide, thanked friends and colleagues who filled Laguna Presbyterian Church for a memorial service. Lawrence died March 25 at age 97.

"We will continue to see his footprint around Laguna Beach," she said.

Lawrence was born in 1914 in San Bernardino. As a child, he dreamed of seeing all 48 states, and at 18 he signed on as a merchant marine. As he traveled to Asia, he fell in love with the continent's art. He returned to study at Woodbury College, where he met his first wife, Maxine. Then came Pearl Harbor, and he enlisted in the Navy.

During the war, Lawrence commanded an amphibious ship in the South Pacific. He made 22 landings, some facing heavy enemy fire.

"He came back from the war and was determined to work to make this world a better place, a more beautiful place," said the Rev. Jerry Tankersley, who knew Lawrence for 40 years.

After the war, Lawrence and his wife stopped in Laguna Beach to buy a gift at Warren Imports. They ended up buying the business and moved to town in 1947. For 60 years, Lawrence ran the import business. He traveled to China more than 100 times, as well as 155 other countries.

"He'd seen a lot of beautiful places, but in sober truth, he would say the best and most beautiful place to live is Laguna Beach," Tankersley said.

From the 1950s on, Lawrence's service preserved and added to the beauty of his beloved city. Over the years, he served a lengthy list of causes and organizations. His work was honored by the Exchange Club, Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, and the City Council declared his birthday, Oct. 1, as Harry Lawrence Day.

Sergio Prince, representing Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates, remembered putting together a proclamation in honor of Lawrence several years ago. "There was so much that Harry had done that I couldn't fit it on this rather large document," he said.